President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Revd. Samson Ayokunle has disagreed with calls by the Supreme Council of Shariah in Nigeria for the execution of former military governor of Rivers State, Major General Zamani Lekwot (retd).
The sharia council had on Thursday demanded the execution of Lekwot and other Southern Kaduna leaders sentenced to death over the Zango-Kataf riot of 1992.
Reacting, the CAN President who is presently in Kaduna over the Southern Kaduna crisis condemned the call, saying it could provoke another round of bloodshed in the volatile area.
He warned that the incessant killings in the area have given Kaduna a bad name, adding that Lekwot’s killing would compound the problem.
“When you are talking about peace and you say it is about killing somebody, is that peace? It is to bring further violence to the nation because Zamani Lekwot has his own people; they will not allow that. A government that attempts that is looking for a greater trouble,” Ayokunle warned.
The CAN President noted that he would be meeting Governor Nasir el-Rufai today over the Southern Kaduna crisis.
“My coming today is to identify with the oppressed people of Southern Kaduna whether Christian or Muslims. I come here not to see you alone but I will see the governor on Monday,” Ayokunle said.